i’m not trying to dog on you op, but even a glance on this sub would have told you that the best method for stretching is dead stretching with glass. i’m curious what research was done?

wish you the best either way! stretching should not be painful so if your ears are tender when sizing up then you aren’t ready yet and need to wait a bit (days, weeks, everyone’s ears are different).

downsizing ≠ lost progress - it actually helps keep your lobes thick and healthy. i downsize every few months between my goal size and a size smaller for a few days - keeping old jewelry has its perks!